To go and buy a lock?

[WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant]

For my fridge.

To stop my 12 year old stealing food and lying about it. With his mouth full of said food. All smeared round his face and dropped on the floor and over the clean laundry that was waiting to go in the drier...

It's not a hunger thing. It's a cheese thing. He can eat his dinner (generally a good eater, not fussy) then as soon as I leave the room, he is stuffing his face with cheese.

I try not to buy it too often, as he just eats the lot. But if we have pizza or baked potato, I buy some.

Just grate the Red Leicester on the pizza then - no harm done, surely?

If you have food specifically set aside for a meal then make it clear that's he to leave that, if you're not already doing so.

Do you have a toasted sandwich maker, if so, could he make a cheese toastie for breakfast?

The cheese-eating isn't your problem though.

Your problem is the selfish behaviour of a 12 year old who should know better, and the lying.

A lock won't fix that, or teach him.

My 8 year old has a big thing for brie and could easily eat a whole pack of it. He helps himself from the fridge sometimes. But even at 8, he'll eat a couple of slices and then hover and look longingly at it and mentally struggle with himself as he internally debates over his desire to eat it all vs his knowledge that it's for everyone, to be shared.

Grate the cheese and freeze it if it's for cooking with. And work out why he's overeating /try to get him to eat more less fatty protein.

I like cheese, I could eat it til the cows come home.

How much cheese is he eating? It seems a little extreme to put a lock on the fridge for some cheese but you don't say how much he is eating.

How about one of these fridge cages?

DS told me about a classmate who was sent on a school trip with a timer lock on his lunchbox and got royally teased about it. Poor kid probably had diabetes...

I really sympathise with this. DS1 takes food all the time that is meant for everyone, and that I can't afford to replace.

It is not a hunger thing, he knows there is always plenty of bread, crackers etc that he can help himself to unlimited but he takes things that are clearly meant to be part of meals, lunch boxes etc. I too have thought about locks. No amount of talking and reasoning makes any difference.

Cheese is expensive I totally get where the op is coming from, when you are on a budget it isn't just a case of getting more. It's also the lesson that one person isn't more important than everyone else in the house.

Sorry no real advice op as I haven't found the solution either but lots of empathy.

We had a lock on fridge as kids due to my db taking food all the time but he now has a diagnosis of aspergers and dyspraxia which possibly impacted some of his decision making. I do remember as teenagers that the two of us could polish off a loaf of bread between 3.30 and 4.30 no problem. I'm not sure if locks are the best solution but they might help in the short-term until you can agree a better plan with him. Is he eating slices of the cheese? Could you grate it (or buy pre-grated) for pizzas? Not the simplest or cheapest option but may be less stressful for you both. Is it worth speaking to GP or a dietician to establish a plan?

We used to have a bit of this when my older boys were younger. They would eat the whole pack of ham and I would have nothing for ds3's packed lunch the next day. However they didn't lie about it and it was just thoughtlessness. They now ask "what's for eating" and I tell them what's out of bounds. I think you need to sit down with him and discuss it. Decide together on what he can have for a snack and then have consequences for eating "family food".

ive never lived in a house where you cant eat food because its for something later in the week. if the food was for tea that night or something for next day then maybe stop them eating it but surely you have other food in you could use?

But Peggy if your budget is tight you have to plan for the week, once it's gone there is no more money to replace it!

ive never lived in a house where you cant eat food because its for something later in the week

Really? We're not on a particularly tight budget but we meal plan every week. If DH went into the fridge and randomly cooked himself a pork loin i'd be really pissed off because it's for a meal later in the week and would be a PITA.

You've never lived on a budget then Peggy, lucky you.

Then lies about it, with cheese falling out of his mouth as he says "I'm not eating anything"

That would be the deal breaker for me. Does he think you're stupid? I canNOT stand lying.

Is he really getting "fat" from snaffling to occasional bit of cheese? Are you sure this is all he's eating?

That's a terrible diet though pissed. Cheap biscuits, a pack a day? A whole frozen pizza as a precursor to dinner? That is so bad for whoever is eating it, whether they are constantly hungry or not.

Half a loaf of toast after porridge

I don't remember my DB eating like that! I'm feeling very grateful for my skinny Minnie DD right now. I'd never be able to afford her when she's older.

I used to do that with food as a child and teen and got massively over weight and developed eating problems. Stop him doing it now as it is unhealthy to binge then lie about it.

Two apples at a time one for each hand

That's just ludicrous!

Dbro ate loads growing up. Just like some people here have described.

However he wouldn't have eaten a whole pack of something without asking if it was needed for something in particular or if someone else wanted one saving. Especially something like a whole pack of cheese that should last a few meals.

It's selfish behaviour.

Put grated cheese in the freezer. Just get out what you need. Don't let him see it in the freezer!